THE LAST PICTURE SHOW IN BUCHAREST
Israel/Ukraine, 2019, 78 minutes, Colour.
Paul Octavian Dionescu, Eitan Anner, Cristin Balint, Julia Levy- Boeken
Directed by Ludi Boeken.
With such a title and the sequences in cinema in Bucharest, 1940s, the German invasion, the behaviour of the local fascist police, the persecution of the Jews, roundups, shootings in the forest, there is a tension between the movies and reality.
And, throughout the film, there are movie references, especially through trailers, The Maltese Falcon, Passage to Marseille and, when the central character joins the Foreign Legion, Casablanca.
And the central character is a young man, son of the owner of the movie theatre, seeing his father killed, a roustabout with other young men in Bucharest, befriending a young woman who is attacked, rounded up and sent to a juvenile camp. And he is transferred to Israel.
The film shows the life of refugees in Israel in the 1940s, in camps in tents, difficulties with language, some harsh treatment. However, he once again encounters the girl from Bucharest who helps him.
His story is something of a puzzle as the film opens in Indochina in 1954, our hero confronting one of the soldiers and making his escape by boat. The mosaic of the screenplay then fills in the background of the story, the young man and his wanting vengeance on the local Romanian fascist who is responsible for the death of his father, escaping from Israel, travelling with a sympathetic captain on a boat to Italy, making his way to Marseille, joining the Foreign Legion where he tracks down his target. And this involves the war in Indochina, the fascist in charge, getting the young man to follow through on an escape plan.
And, there is the framework of a trial in Israel, the young man being condemned for escape and desertion, a lawyer speaking on his behalf, the young woman and the Italian captain. The case is made for his heroism, the decision of the court, his future.
1. A World War II film memoir? Jews in Romania? Romanian police and persecution of the Jews? War crimes?
2. Romania, the 1940s, German invasion, fascist local police? The persecution of the Jews, shootings in the forest? The cinema, the audience, the trailers for Maltese Falcon? The children, the killings, the attacks, juvenile detention? The musical score?
3. The framework in Israel, Eliahu’s standing trial, the charge, desertion, the judges, the panel? The flashbacks to Eliahu’s life, experiences? The cumulative evidence, the witnesses?
4. Eliahu, the ship to Israel, arriving in Haifa, the refugee camps, the tents, the military training, his escaping, Venice, on foot to Marseille, the foreign Legion, service in Vietnam?
5. The focus on Eliahu, his experiences as a child, the shooting of his father, the death of his mother, his friends, the brutal attack on Louisa, his stabbing the assailant, life in the juvenile detention? Six years? Getting out, the lawyer paying his trip to Israel? Meeting Louisa again, her change of name, her help, the refugees burning their clothes, the appeal to the authorities to charge Stanescu, his obsession? The trailer for Passage to Marseille? Letters to his friend, the location for his enemy? Escaping, the boat, the friendly Italian captain, through the woods, the French border, the offer of the French Legion or imprisonment? Signing up, the interviews, the training, the trailer for Casablanca, the request to go
to Indochina?
6. Indochina, the mission, the dangers, special squads, the news about Ernst, hospital, his return, getting Eliahu to escape, find headquarters, return, the attack and the successful mission?
7. Ernst being wounded, Eliahu carrying him, confronting him, shooting him? The escape in swimming to the boat?
8. Louisa, the bond with Eliahu, in court? The captain and his friendliness, testimony? The work of the lawyer, supporting Eliahu for so many years, defending him?
9. The summing up by the judges, their verdict?
10. A film to add to the enormous range of World War II films, German invasion and attack in Central and Eastern Europe?
